Careful planning can make solar power effective, report claims

Solar power is one of the cleanest forms of energy available and can have massive environmental benefits in comparison to coal and other forms of electricity.

However solar panels are often disregarded as a realistic electricity generation option, as people perceive it as being too reliant on good weather conditions to be consistent.

Well the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation is encouraging people to think again, and have released a new survey titled Solar Intermittency: Australia’s clean energy challenge.

The report points out that through careful management, the impact of weather conditions can be offset and solar power can be a realistic form of electricity generation.

"Although high penetration levels of solar generation have the potential to cause adverse network impacts, corrective measures such as assigning more generating units to regulating duty or installing fast-response combined-cycle generators are available," the report states.

"These measures can be effective if carefully planned."

Many households will soon be feeling the economic impact of non-renewable energy, with the federal government's new carbon tax set to come into effect on July 1.

Electricity prices in NSW are expected to increase by an average of 18.1 per cent as a result of the tax, while other regions will also be adversely affected.